Texas Independence Day

The opening lines of the Texas Declaration of Independence read as follows:

"When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived, and for the advancement of whose happiness it was instituted, and so far from being a guarantee for the enjoyment of those inestimable and inalienable rights, becomes an instrument in the hands of evil rulers for their oppression...."

It was adopted by convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos on this date in 1836 and signed by 59 delegates, each representing one of the settlements in the colonies, on the following day.

The Texas Revolution was brief and seems to have been a result of Divine Intervention in many ways.  The circumstances of remoteness from the center of power and the arrogance of the Federal Government combined with the "brilliance" of a strategic retreat (some might say it was purely luck) allowed the Texians to capture Santa Anna, the self-declared emperor and leader of the Federal military forces and thus bring a swift end to the conflict.

Some might argue, just as is done regarding the U.S. Civil War (aka War of Northern Agression) that the Texas revolution was about slavery.  There is some validity to that argument, however, it is placing a simplistic reasoning on a complex issue.  While true that colonists resented the Mexican Government's ban on the importation and possession of slaves, there were many other issues that precipitated the revolt.  Those issues included suppression of religious freedom, denial of trial by peers, the confiscation of firearms and the capricious imprisonment for various alledged crimes.  Nowhere in the document is slavery mentioned.

When we view history, there is a tendency to place events within the context of current societal trends and thought.  It is a mistake to do so in retrospect, however, it is highly appropriate to place current trends and events within the context of historical occurences which have inevitably led to the present condition.  We tend to look at such things with a reversed hierarchy that places blame rather than creates understanding.

On this day of remembrance it is important to reflect on the struggles of our ancestors that have brought us to a point in the human endeavor where we have much to be thankful for regarding our current state of liberties.  We should remain vigilant, however, to guard those conditions.